


All That Glows is Not Gold...But Sometimes...

by Black_Knight



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 22:20:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17031039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Knight/pseuds/Black_Knight
Summary: Takes place shortly after the end of season 1. (I haven't seen S2 yet, as it's only just dropped, so other people who haven't seen it yet need not fear any spoilers.) Nico and Karolina are getting closer, which leads Nico to think back.





	All That Glows is Not Gold...But Sometimes...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Melime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melime/gifts).



It had started easily enough. Kissing, taking off assorted items of clothing, just generally losing themselves in each other. It’s something Karolina had long known she wanted; for Nico, it is more complex.

Nico and Karolina are alone in the van, a blanket under Nico, Karolina above her. Molly and Gert have taken Old Lace on a walk, if such a phrase can be used with a dinosaur, Alex is brooding somewhere on a plan to deal with their parents and Jonah, and Chase is practicing knocking down tree branches with his Fistigons. Nico and Karolina figured they had an hour before people started coming back, and were eager to use it.

Until now, when Nico’s fingers brush Karolina’s bracelet. Nico freezes at the feel of the metal against her skin, and she and Karolina stare at each other, remembering.

_“Hope that wasn’t weird, like I was trying to make you glow or something.”_

_“Were you?”_

The uncertainty in Karolina’s eyes stabs at Nico’s heart. She had been so flustered when Karolina asked that, although she’d managed to half-laugh it off, but not only because of the obvious reason (that of course she had wanted to make Karolina glow, even though she hadn’t realized it right when she went to take off the bracelet).

Karolina without her confidence suddenly looks like a kid now, and Nico feels the same way Karolina looks. She remembers meeting Karolina then. Her first impression had been of a golden girl with a gleaming white smile. So beautiful and charismatic that she was the natural center of her family, her world. In contrast Nico was overshadowed by her older sister. She loved her sister more than anything, and tried hard to measure up to her, but she never really succeeded.

She expected that Karolina would focus on Amy like everyone else did. But it was Nico Karolina stepped up to and threw her arms around. “I know we’re going to be friends!”

And that had been true. Karolina did become friends with Amy too, just like the rest of the group did. They’d all been friends with each other. But Karolina always seemed to reserve something special for Nico alone. She’d pull Nico to one side for whispered conversations. She gave Nico a bright pink friendship bracelet which Nico called silly and never wore, but still kept safe in a drawer, secretly treasuring. And sometimes at night when Nico was feeling alone, she’d pull the bracelet out and hold it, clinging to the thought she had a real best friend. For her part, Karolina seemed to suspect Nico hadn’t just tossed the bracelet.

The girls got older, and in Karolina’s case, she grew even more golden. Nico saw the reactions of the people around them. White blonde girls get the most attention. But it was hard to resent Karolina for that when she was so sweet, and when Nico couldn’t help but feel drawn to her too, and when the person Karolina clearly most preferred to be around was Nico herself.

But then the whole thing with Amy happened. Nico, locked in grief, retreated into a shell. Karolina had tried. And Nico knew it wasn’t Karolina’s fault that she was the smiling golden girl, that nothing bad ever happened to her, but Nico couldn’t help but pull away regardless. Karolina didn’t know what to say other than the stupid platitudes she’d learned from her mother, and even though Nico knew deep down that Karolina meant well, knew that she would try to and maybe could understand if Nico just talked about how she was feeling, she chose to stay distant. It was easier that way. Safer.

Nico started slathering makeup on her face, and it wasn’t until she saw Karolina crying in the bathroom too that she started to soften a bit in her heart. The golden girl had experienced pain. She’d called Karolina out on hiding behind a smile, and even though her words had been harsh, she’d felt a point of commonality between them again. It had helped that Karolina seemed to take no offense, simply acknowledging the truth of Nico’s words. Nico left her in the bathroom, but she’d felt bad about it.

And of course once Nico gave Karolina an inch, it was impossible not to give her the rest. Because Karolina was still sweet, still golden, still everything wonderful she’d always been even if she’d learned sadness now.

The whole multi-colored glowing thing was a surprise, and Nico won’t pretend it wasn’t and isn’t attractive and compelling, but…

the truth is more than that. When Karolina kissed her, Nico was surprised by how much she liked it. But it was that horrible moment when Karolina insisted on sacrificing herself for the group that Nico realized that she wanted Karolina, had wanted Karolina long before she knew that Karolina had special powers that included her turning into a Disney fireworks show. More than anything, Karolina was sweet, and sensitive, and had the biggest heart of anyone Nico knew.

She'd run once from Karolina willingly, after Amy died, and once unwillingly, at Karolina's own urging. Both had torn at her insides, and Nico will not do it a third time.

Nico puts a hand on her golden girl's cheek, looking up at her. “You’ve always glowed to me. Ever since we were kids.” That's the other truth that had made her flustered when they were getting dressed together.

Karolina’s eyes get a hopeful look in them that stabs at Nico’s heart almost as much as the uncertainty did. “Really?”

Nico smiles back. “Really.” She tugs lightly on Karolina’s bracelet. “It’s up to you. I’m good either way.”

Karolina blazes with happiness as she pulls off her bracelet, going from golden to pink and blue and white, and Nico can hardly look at her this close. Karolina kisses her hard, fiercely, and Nico feels herself getting lost again. The weight of Karolina’s body on hers makes her lightheaded. When they break apart, Karolina glances down at her and laughs.

Nico looks down too and sees the lights of Karolina’s body reflected on her own skin. Karolina smirks a bit. “Looks like I make you glow too.”

Nico ignores that and pulls Karolina’s hand between her legs, unable to wait another second. Karolina kisses Nico’s neck as her touch reaches deeper than Nico ever thought anyone's could, all the way to Nico’s heart.

And afterwards, Nico flips Karolina over and slides down until she’s between Karolina’s legs kissing her there, and the two of them discover that Nico can make Karolina glow brighter than ever.


End file.
